Coin tester



Sept. 8, 1942. w. A. TRATscH ETAI.

COIN TESTER Filed Feb. 3, 1941 2 SheeLs--Sheekl 1 WLZZL'a/n Pa/ eefWeZer frgg sept' 8, 1942 w. A. TRA'rscH ET Al. 2,295,493

COIN TESTER Filed Feb. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WLZ/Z/am Pai er i?WaLtecA. Tvasgfy INVENTORS THE/ Afro/Ney Patented Sept. 8, 1942 WalterA. Tratsch and William Patzer,

hicago, Ill.

Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,110

6 Claims.

This invention relates to coin testing devices and more particularly tocoin and slug separating means and has for its principal object theprovision of a coin testing unit which will be simple in construction,economical in manufacture and highly emcient in use.

It is another object of this invention to provide in coin testingdevices a means for separating coins of a proper diameter from thosehaving a lesser diameter.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means in coin chutesof the gravity type whereby coins of a predetermined size and characterwill by their own movementI clear the way for passage into an acceptanceopening, whereas said means will prohibit coins of a lesser diameterfrom passing into the acceptance opening.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means cooperablewith the usual manually controlled scavenger operating leverage forreleasing slugs or tokens of a spurious nature from the testing means inthe event such slugs or tokens fail to eifect operation of the testingmechanism.

Other objects and advantages will appear more fully as the descriptionprogresses in view of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower portion of agravity type coin chute showing our coin testing unit associatedtherewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the coin testing unit asseen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail as seen along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional detail as seen from line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view partly in section of a gravity type coinchute with which our new testing unit may be associated and is of aslightly smaller scale with respect to the view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of the chute shown /in Fig. 5:

Figi? is a perspective view of the entire coin testing unit looking atthe face thereof seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 5; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail as seen along line 8-8 in Fig. 7.

The new testing unit comprising our invention is best adapted for use ingravity type chutes and is preferably suitable for use in the vtypeillustrated in the drawings, whereinv III is a main plate having itsside edge portions bent at right angles to provide side walls Il andhaving a movable wall portion I2 pivotally mounted as at I3 on ears I4struck up from the main plate I0. This pivoted wall I2y is of a shapeillustrated in Fig. 7 and includes a steel plate I2 which coacts withmagnetic means hereinafter explained and is .spaced slightly from themain plate I0 and carries a ledge I5 at a point beneath an entrance,opening I6. The ledge I5 is pitched to direct coins through a magneticux provided by the U-shaped magnet I1 arranged on the;

back of the main plate I0 with its free end portions extending throughopenings I8 formed in the plate I0 so that the face portions I9 of themagnet will lie ilush with the inner wall of the plate I0. The faceportions I9 are positioned directly opposite the steel plate I2' whichconcentrates the magnetic ux of the magnet II in that area ofthe chutepassage. The plate I2' is'held inl spaced relation with respect to theplate I0 by a-lug I2 bent inwardly from the plate I2' and abutting theplate I0,

The lower region of the chute is provided with a front wall 20 (Figs. 1and 7) spaced substantially from the main plate I0 to provide passagefor coins, etc., which gravitate oi the ledgeIS. The lower right-handportion of the chute, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, is provided with ananvil 2I against which coins will gravitate for rebound as illustratedby the dot-dash trajectory (Fig. 5).

The chute has an open bottom end which is divided into an acceptanceopening 22 and a reject opening 23 by a laterally extending portion 24struck inwardly from the front wall 2.0. A trap 25 is pivotally arrangedas at 26 on the wall 20 exteriorly of the coin passage and has a ledgeportion 21 which extends through an opening 28 formed in the Wall 20 soas to provide a rest for coins and the like which may be directed towardthe acceptance opening 22.

This ledge 21-is constructed so as to be normally displaced when theweight of a coin is disposed thereon so that coins may pass beyond theledge into the acceptance opening 22. However, there is provided a latchmeans 29 for the trap 25 to normally hold the latter in coin supportingposition as shown.

The latch 29 consists of a lever 30 pivotally mounted as at 3I on abracket 32 fixed to the wall 20 and has the lever end 30 weighted orbalanced so as to normally be disposed in blocking relation for abutmentby an extension 33v struck outwardly from the trap member 25. Arrangedon the latch 29, at a distance from the pivotal mounting 3| is a pinmember 34 which extends through an opening 35 formed in the wall 20,ance opening 22.

into the coin passage above the acceptance opening 22. The pin 34bearing against the lower right-hand wall of the slot 35 (Fig. 1) holdsthe latch 29 in its normal position as shown.

The acceptance opening 22 and reject opening 23 are further separated bya detent 3B which is substantially in the same horizontal plane withrespect to the pin 34, and this detent extends through an arcuate slot31 formed in the main plate I0. The detent 36 is formed as an integralpart of a lever 38 pivotally mounted as at 39 on the rear face of themain plate iii for reasons to be hereinafter explained.

As seen in Fig. 5, coins deposited in the entrance opening i6 arerequired to pass the test for magnetic quality as they leave the lowerend of the ledge l5, and only'such coins as follow substantially thetrajectory shown in dot-dash lines will rebound over the detent 36 intoa position for support on the ledge 21, other coins passing directly outof the reject opening 23.

In the use of gravity type chutes with rebound testing means like 2iillustrated herein, it has been found that certain spurious coinelements are capable of making the iinal rebound for direction into theacceptance opening. Spurious coins like five-centavos issued by theMexican government have been found to follow substantially the sametrajectory as valid U. S. ilve-cent pieces or nickels. The same is trueof any spurious coin element which has a nickel-silver contentsufiicient to pass the heavy magnetic flux provided at the magnet I1 andsuiiicient resiliency to make the final rebound into the acceptanceopening.

To this end the detent 36 provides a iixed blocking means and with thepin element I4 provides a coin gauging mechanism whereby coins of adiameter of a valid U. S. five-cent piece will enlarge the clearancebetween the pin 34 and the detent 36. This enlarging of the clearanceaforesaid causes a. movement of the pin 34 about the pivotal mounting 3|on the latch means 29 and likewise causes the latter to swingcounterclockwise as seen in Fig. l, to raise the lever 30 out ofengagement with the offset arm 33 on the trap 25, whereupon the weightof the valid ve-l cent `coin resting on the ledge 21 will be sufcient topivot the trap 25 into dotted line' position, as seen in Fig. 3, so thatthe valid iivecent coin may pass into and through the accept- However,coins or tokens having a lesser diameter than valid U. S. five-centcoins will not urge the pin 34 counterclockwise suiiiciently to raisethe lever 30 out of its latching relation with the arm' 33 on the trap25, and for that reason the trap will remain with its ledge 21 in coinsupporting position as shown in Figs.'

3 and 5.

In order to free spurious coins from supported position on the ledge 21,there is provided a, scavenger control best illustrated in Fig. 6. Thescavenger consists of a manually controlled lever 4|! pivotally mountedas at 4| on the rear wall of the main plate I9. This scavenger lever 4Ihas a cam portion 42 `which extends through an opening 43 formed in themain plate I0, (as shown in Fig. 7) which cam portion 42 engages aroller 44 carried by the vpivoted front wall I2 of the chute, therebeing roller means 45 carried by the lever 40 and engaging a cam portionof a sweep arm 46 as seen in Fig. 5, whereby to clear the upper end ofthe chute of any foreign matter, refuse or the like. 'I'he substance ofthe scavenger mechanism relating to the upper end of the coin chute isdescribed and claimed in our application, Serial N0. 266,582, illedApril '1, 1939, and while it does not form a part of the presentinvention it is linked with the clearing means of our coin testingdevice of this present application in the manner now to be described.

'I'he lever 33 pivoted at 39 on the plate lli has an extension 41 towhich there is connected as at 48 a connecting rod 49, the upper end ofthis rod 49 being pivotally connected as at 50 to the scavenger lever40. 'When the lever 40 is depressed into dotted line position (Fig. 6),the rod 49 urges the lever 38 counterclockwise into dotted lineposition, thus raising thevdetent 33 in a direction away from thesupporting ledge 21 of the trap 25. With the detent 39 raised into itsuppermost position (dotted lines, Fig. 5), such coins as are trapped orsupported on the ledge 21 will be free to move by gravity toward andinto the reject opening 23 for return to the depositor by return meansnot shown.

In the present-application we have described oux` new coin testing unitin conjunction with a five-cent coin chute. We do not desire to limitourselves to the particular denomination of coin for which a chute maybe adapted, but desire to avail ourselves of all modiiications andequivalents coming within the call of our invention.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying our invention into eifect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of suchvariations and modiilcations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coin and slug separator comprising a body portion having a coinpassage formed therein divided into an acceptance passage and a rejectpassage, the combination of a movable ledge normally positioned abovesaid acceptance passage and pitched in a direction toward said rejectpassage, said ledge being adapted to move by the weight of a cointhereon, means for latching said ledge in normal position to eectgravitation of coins toward said reject passage, said latch means beingpivotally arranged on one wall of said body portion and blockinglyengaging said movable ledge, pin means carried by said latch means andextending into said passage above said ledge and adapted to be engagedby coins of a predetermined diameter gravitating into said passage tomove said latch means and free said ledge for movement by the weight ofa coin thereon.

, 2. In a gravity type coin chute comprising a body portion having acoin passage formed therein with an entrance opening arranged in itsupper region and an acceptance and a reject opening in its lower region,means for directing coins deposited in said chute toward said acceptanceopening, trap means pitched in a direction toward said reject openingand arranged above said acceptance opening and adapted to receive coinsfrom said directing means to direct them toward said reject opening,said trap means being normally disposed to move out of coin supportingposition by the weight of a coin thereon, means for latching said trapmeans in coin supporting position, said latch means normally supportingsaid trap means and including a detent extending into the passage abovesaid trap means and adapted to be engaged by a coin having apredetermined diameter to release said trap means for movement asaforesaid, gauge means extending across said passage opposite saiddetent for gauging coins as they pass therebetween, and manuallyoperated lever means for displacing said gauge means to permit coins ofless than a predetermined diameter to gravitate along said trap meanstoward said reject opening.

3. In a coin chute of the class described, a body portion including acoin passage having an entrance opening and an acceptance and a rejectopening, means for directing coins toward said acceptance opening, atrap positioned above said acceptance opening to receive coins directedas aforesaid, said trap being pivotally carried by said body portion andproviding a ledge pitched toward said reject opening and adapted to beswung from 'coin supporting position by the weight of a coin thereon, alatch lever on said body arranged to engage said trap to keep the latterin coin supporting position, pin means on said latch lever and normallydisposed in said coin passage above said ledge, gauge means extendingacross said .passage at a point opposite said pin means and providing ablocking means for preventing coins from gravitating toward said rejectopening, said last-named means cooperating with coins of a predetermineddiameter to urge said pin means in a direction away from said gaugemeans whereby to release said latch means with respect to said trap, ahand-operated scavenger mechanism for said coin chute, means connectingsaid scavenger mechanism to said gauge means and adapted, when thescavenger mechanism is operated by hand, to move said gauge means out ofsaid blocking position opposite said pin means whereby coins are free togravitate toward said reject opening.

4. In a coin chute of the class described, a body portion including acoin passage having an entrance opening and an acceptance and a rejectopening, means for directing coins toward said acceptance opening, atrap positioned above said acceptance opening to receive coins directedas aforesaid, said trap being pivotally carried by said body portion andproviding a ledge pitched toward said reject opening and adapted to beswung from coin supporting position by the weight of a coin thereon, alatch lever on said body arranged to engage said trap to keep the latterin coin supporting position, pin means on said latch lever and normallydisposed in said coin passage above said ledge, gauge means extendingacross said passage at a point opposite said pin means and providing ablocking means for preventing coins from gravitating toward said rejectopening, said last-named means cooperating with coins oi a predetermineddiameter to urge said pin means in a direction away from said gaugemeans whereby to release said latch means with respect to said trap,said gauge means being pivotally supported on said body portion, amanually operable lever and means connecting the latter to said gaugemeans for raising the latter out of coin blocking position.

5. In a coin and slug separator comprising a body portion having a coinpassage formed therein divided into an acceptance passage and arejectpassage, the combination of a movable ledge normally positioned abovesaid acceptance passage and pitched toward said reject passage, saidledge being adapted to move out of the acceptance passage by the weightof a coin thereon, means for latching said ledge in normal position.

said latch means being pivotally arranged on one wall of said bodyportion and blockingly engaging said movable ledge, pin means carried bysaid latch means and extending into said passage above said ledge andadapted to be engaged by coins of a predetermined diameter gravitatinginto said passage to move said latch means and free said ledge formovement by the weight of a coin thereon, and blocking means dividingsaid acceptance passage from said reject passage and Iarranged toprevent coins from gravitating toward the latter passage, and manualmeans operatively connected with said blocking means for withdrawingsaid blocking means out of blocking position.

6. In a coin and slug separator comprising a body portion having a coinpassage formed therein divided into an acceptance passage and a rejectpassage, the combination of a movable ledge normally positioned abovesaid acceptance passage and pitched toward said .reject passage, said,ledge being adapted to move out of said acceptance passage by theweight of a coin thereon,.

means for latching said ledge in normal position, said latch means beingpivotally arranged on one wall of said body portion and blocking saidmovable ledge by engaging the same, pin means carried by said latchmeans and extending into said passage above said ledge and adapted to beengaged by coins of a predetermined diameter gravitating into saidpassage to move said latch means and free said ledge for movement by theweight of a coin thereon, and gauge means normally positioned above saidledge and spaced from said pin means for directing coin elements towardsaid pin means for the purpose aforesaid, said gauge means beingpivotally arranged on said body portion, manual means operativelyconnected to said gauge means for swinging the latter out of normalposition whereby to permit coin elements of less than a predetermineddiameter to gravitate toward said reject opening.

WALTER. A. TRATSCH. WILLIAM: PATZER.

